Hanoi (VNA) – The 16th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Sports (SOMS 16), the 8th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Sports (AMMS 8) and related meetings will be held in Hanoi from October 13–17, announced at a press briefing on October 9.
Speaking at the event, Le Thi Hoang Yen, Deputy Director of the Sports Authority of Vietnam (SAV), said preparations for the meetings have been carried out under the direction of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, covering logistics, security, and safety.
Under the theme “Navigating Sports – Contributing to Sustainable Development,” AMMS 8 will focus on key priorities reflecting ASEAN’s evolving sports landscape and its role in achieving sustainable development goals.
The discussions will centre on developing professional sports to boost regional competitiveness, promoting gender equality and participation from youth and people with disabilities, traditional sports tied to ASEAN’s cultural identity, and establishing an ASEAN High-Performance Sports Centre.
Delegates will also discuss leveraging sports to improve public health, contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, enhancing cooperation with partners such as Japan, China, and the Republic of Korea (RoK), and strengthening Vietnam’s leadership in ASEAN’s sports framework. The meetings will promote Vietnam’s image and deepen friendship and mutual understanding among ASEAN members.
Around 200 delegates are expected to attend, including ministers, deputy ministers, and heads of sports agencies from ASEAN member states and Timor-Leste, as well as representatives from Japan and China.
The meetings are expected to adopt joint declarations, reviewing the implementation of the ASEAN Work Plan on Sports 2021–2025 and outlining the framework for ASEAN sports cooperation beyond 2025. The agenda will include drafting new collaboration plans with Japan, China, and other partners, and endorsing reports from SOMS 15 and SOMS 16.
A highlight of AMMS 8 will be Vietnam’s coordination with the ASEAN Secretariat to refine joint documents and advance cooperation with key partners such as the RoK, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and the South-East Asia Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (SEARADO).
SAV Director Nguyen Danh Hoang Viet said hosting AMMS 8 underscores Vietnam’s position in the region while promoting ASEAN sports cooperation. “This is an opportunity for Vietnam to learn from international management practices, global expertise, sports science, and sports for people with disabilities,” he said.
According to Viet, hosting AMMS 8 not only fulfils Vietnam’s commitment within ASEAN but also strengthens its international reputation, showcasing the nation’s culture, people, and sporting achievements while fostering mutual understanding and solidarity among ASEAN countries.
AMMS was first held in 2011 in Indonesia and has since become a biennial high-level forum for policy exchange and collaboration among ASEAN members./.
